No register of burials pertaining to the cemetery is known to exist. Hence, the information needed to compile a record of people interred there has had to be drawn from inscriptions on the markers that survive, from newspapers, regimental returns and archival records. The result is a list of 97 soldiers, veterans, their wives and children who died between 1862 and 1911. A majority died from natural causes like asthma, consumption and aneurysms but significant numbers drowned.
It's an interesting contrast seeing Toronto of 1793 with today's Toronto in the background.
4 comments:
I gave a tour here a few weekends ago. It is the third military cemetery for the Toronto / Fort York area. The fist was in Victoria Memorial Square, off Wellilngton just east of Bathurst. The second was moved near the Strachan Avenue site, mentioned in your post. The second one didn't last very long; there were problems with the water table, and the bodies didn't stay buried.
The old military cemeteries are often overlooked by visitors to the Fort, and it's nice to see you mention them.
Richard
www.muddyyorktours.com
I bet your tour was interesting, Richard!
It was alsovery interesting to see a sign saying "SONY"...that is pretty 2009, isn't it? Advertising everywhere, even right there is this Historic place!
I never even knew there was a cemetary there! I went to the fort once for a party at night and in the 8 years I was in Toronto I regret never exploring there!!!
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